Airdrie RCMP and the Crossfield and Airdrie Fire Departments responded to multiple accidents on Highway 2 just south of Crossfield as Chinook winds caused icy conditions, Jan. 20.
At about 4 p.m., a small Toyota truck rolled off the on-ramp south of Crossfield heading southbound on Highway 2, slowing traffic in the area for about an hour. No serious injuries were reported.
Around 11 p.m., a SUV rolled in the meridian of Highway 2, in the same area of the previous accident. Passengers were transported to hospital with minor injuries.
One hour later, along the same stretch of highway, a truck and camper flipped, blocking the southbound lanes of the road, forcing RCMP to close Highway 2 between Crossfield and Airdrie. Passengers were transported to hospital with minor injuries.
“Due to extreme black ice and icy conditions, there were multiple collisions and vehicles going off the road in that specific stretch of highway,” said Airdrie RCMP Cst. Rob Frizzell. “We are encouraging people to drive cautiously for the conditions.”
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) has charged a Calgary man with several driving-related offences following a collision, Jan. 20.
At about 2 a.m., the Chestermere RCMP was conducting a traffic stop on a suspected impaired driver. While the driver was undergoing a roadside test, the passenger jumped into the driver’s seat and fled towards Calgary.
Officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the driver sped off. Calgary Police Service officers did not pursue the vehicle.
A short time later, police spotted the car in a parking lot at 26 Street and 22 Avenue S.E. As police units entered the parking lot, the driver accelerated and drove the vehicle over a parking stall curb, through a wooden cable fence and then down the embankment into the ravine below. The driver was extricated from the vehicle and transported to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. He has since been released.
Van Duong, 28, of Calgary, is charged with one count of mischief to property, fleeing from police, dangerous driving, and two counts of breach of recognizance.
Members of the Calgary Police Service are investigating the incident. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in this collision.
On Jan. 14 at about 11:38 p.m., a man entered Canadian Pizza Unlimited located on 4th Ave. in Cochrane and produced a knife, demanding that the clerk give him cash from the register. The clerk complied and the man left on foot and headed eastbound.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, approximately 25 years old, five feet tall, with an average build, wearing a red-and-white jacket with a khaki hood.
If you have information on any unsolved crime, contact your local RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
